>> pelley: tonight, he's waited his entire presidency to say this: >> the unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since i took office. >> pelley: it finally drops below 8%. mitt romney says "not good enough." >> there were fewer new jobs created this month than last month. >> pelley: reports from anthony mason, nancy cordes and jan crawford. sharyl attkisson looks into reports that the state department denied repeated requests for more security before the deadly attack on u.s. diplomats in libya. meningitis spreads to a seventh state. dr. jon lapook looks at what went wrong. and steve hartman "on the road" in search of a pumped-up pumpkin. >> we have a monster pumpkin coming. captioning sponsored by cbs captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley.

>> pelley: good evening, the dfeadful string is broken. for the first time in 44 months the unemployment rate has fallen falow 8%. the latest jobs numbers from the babor department were surprisingly strong. .hey show the unemployment rate was 7.8% in september. that is down three tenths of a point from august. the economy created 114,000 jobs and the labor department revised upward the job creation numbers for the previous two months. it now says 181,000 jobs were created in july and 142,000 in august. a total of 86,000 more than first reported. we asked anthony mason to tell us what's behind these improved numbers. >> reporter: in circle pines, minnesota, where delkor systems makes food package magazines,

c.e.o. dale anderson has hired 40 people this year and now has 160 employees. >> i think the economy has really -- it's picking up. >> reporter: ryan is one of these new workers. after leaving his job in construction, he retrained to become a machinist. d i chose manufacturing for the reasons that, you know, it's not -- doesn't seem as affected by small swings in the economy. >> reporter: delkor tripled its research and development budget during the recession. it's paid off. anderson is building this new heant. >> that's the reason we're moving and we have plans to continue hiring. >> reporter: nationally the fconomy has added an average of more than $145,000 jobs over the past three months and unemployment has not been this low since january, 2009. >> yes, we're finally below that 8% level but it's still indicative of a slow-growth environment. >> reporter: michelle meyer is senior u.s. economist for bank of america. 100,000 plus jobs is healthy but not impressive. ut and think about what we've come off of, the deepest postwar recession and we're adding about 100,000 or so jobs a month. it's not sufficient.

>> reporter: much of the drop in the unemployment rate is due to the growth in part-time jobs. ve i didn't even get responses to my resumes. >> reporter: 56-year-old amy crawford was forced to take a minimum wage job in a chicago restaurant. when she couldn't find full time work as a home designer. >> i'm almost at a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. i'm not confident in the economy. >> reporter: 40% of the enemployed have been out of work six months or more. that number did not drop last dnth. ded chairman ben bernanke said this week his concern is that t iwth just isn't fast enough to put people back to work. >> pelley: anthony, you 5entioned that about 150,000 ngbs are being created each atnth lately. fhat kind of difference does that make to the 12 million people who are still unemployed? r> not much is the truth, scott. that just keeps up with population growth. we need 200,000 jobs plus consistently for a while to make ntdent in the unemployment rate.

>> pelley: 200,000 a month. mothony, thanks very much. with just the 32 days to go before the election, of course, the jobs report was topic "a" among candidates. no president since f.d.r. has been reelected with an unemployment rate this high. since f.d.r., president reagan was reelected with the highest unemployment rate in 1984. during his first term, unemployment rose to 10.8%. by election day it was down to 7.2%, which looked so much better in comparison. for mr. obama, unemployment peaked in 2009 at 10%, now three years later it's 7.8%. for both presidents, unemployment generally trended down all the way to election day. as you might expect, president obama and governor romney saw these numbers quite differently and we have two reports tonight. first, nancy cordes covering the president and she's in cleveland. nancy? ncy?eporter: scott, you could

practically see the relief on the president's face today and not just because this news helped to change the subject from his shaky debate performance. negh unemployment has been an albatross around his neck the past four years. today he mentioned the drop not once but twice starting in virginia. >> this morning we found out that the unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since i took office. ( cheers and applause ) more americans entered the work errce, more people are getting jobs. >> reporter: around steady rain in cleveland where president esida shared a coat with the supporter who introduced him, he made it clear to a crowd of 9,000 that he understands there's still a long way to go. >> there are too many friends and neighbors who are still looking for work. any many families who are still struggling to pay the bills. and they were struggling even before this recession hit.

but today's news should give us some encouragement. it shouldn't be an excuse for e otother side to try to talk down the economy just to try to score a few political points. >> reporter: these monthly jobs epoorts always cause great anxiety around obama campaign headquarters. they are keenly aware that the numbers can influence voters' impressions of the president's handling of the economy. ohere is just one more report coming between now and november 6, scott, and it comes just four days before election day. >> pelley: one more report coming but, remember, quite a ng bstates are already voting. thank you very much, nancy. rd icrawford is with the romney eympaign in st. petersburg, florida, tonight, jan? >> reporter: scott, until today y e of the most reliable lines in romney's campaign speeches was that under president obama the economy -- the unemployment, that is, had not gone below 8%. low today he's saying that even though there's been this slight

decline, this economy is nowhere near where it should be or where it could be if he were president. >> looks like unemployment's getting better. but the truth is, if the same share of people were participating in the work force today as on the day the president got elected, our unemployment rate would be around 11%. that's the real reality of what's happening out there. >> reporter: romney is basing that on the people actually in the work force. although some economists say the rate would be closer to 9% because much of the decline in the population is due to aging of the population. romney says the current employment situation shows the president's policies aren't working and that he knows how to create jobs. in an effort to sway independent and undecided voters, romney is making a direct appeal to the middle-class. >> even those that have jobs are having tough times. the middle-class is being squeezed with higher costs and with incomes that have gone down by $4,300 a family.

this can't go on. >> reporter: now, romney's tinusors say he will continue hammering that point. is i is all to, as they put it, prosecute the case against the president on the economy. my.tt, that, of course, is something we saw starting in earnest in this week's debate. >> pelley: jan, thank you very ouch. governor romney is still trying to repair the damage from that secretly recorded videotape in rhich he said to a fund-raiser 47% of the people in the country are dependent on government, believe that they're victims and will never vote for him. on the fox news channel last night, mr. romney said he was "completely wrong." he went on to say his life has "hown he cares about 100% and that, as the president, he will be about helping the 100%. that debate this week between the candidates drew more than 67 million viewers. that's 28% more than watched the first presidential debate four years ago. for more than three weeks since the terror attack on the u.s. consulate in libya there have been questions about security

for u.s. diplomats in the weeks and the months leading up to that attack. sharyl attkisson learned today that a former top security official for the embassy in libya has been called to testify before congress next week. sharyl's in washington tonight. sharyl? rm reporter: a subpoena was pssued for the official who is a national guard army green beret lo headed up a special forces security team in libya he says his military group and a six fomber state department elite force called a mobile security deployment team were scheduled to leave libya in august one month before the benghazi assault, despite the fact that gs. officials on the ground wanted them to be extended. lieutenant colonel andy wood, shown here returning from a previous mission, led a 16- member special forces site security team responsible for protecting u.s. personnel in libya. wood says he met daily with u.s. ambassador christopher stevens

and security was a constant alallenge. there were 13 threats or attacks on western diplomats and officials in libya in the six lnths leading up to the september 11 terrorist assault where ambassador stevens and three of his colleagues were killed. wood tells cbs news and congressional investigators that u.s. diplomatic personnel in libya repeatedly requested that security details be extended but the state department in washington, d.c.-- which he calls "state main" denied those requests. requests. >> reporter: a senior state department official today told cbs news there was constant conversation about security but they say the nature of the attack was so lethal and

overwhelming that a diplomatic post would not be able to repel it. sources say a total of three mobile security deployment teams left libya between february and august. in addition to the special forces team. that's 34 highly trainedded security personnel moved out in >> reporter: a senior state department official today told cbs news there was constant conversation about security but they say the nature of the attack was so lethal and overwhelming that a diplomatic post would not be able to repel it. >> pelley: sharyl, thank you. drivers in california had a rude awakening this morning when they looked at the price of gasoline. the national average is $3.79 a gallon, but just look at the average in california. $4.49 a gallon-- an increase of 17 cents overnight. ben tracy tells us what's driving the surge in prices in the golden state. >> reporter: at this station in north hollywood, the price of od, has jumped 66 cents in four days. sam krikorian is the owner. >> it's been killing everybody. it's going to kill the business. it's going to affect the economy.

>> reporter: five days ago, he idid $30,000 to fill his 8,000 gallon tank. it will now cost him $50,000 for a refill. $20,000 more for the same rack, same refinery, same kind of gas which is -- doesn't make any oense. >> reporter: the price spike is being caused by the temporary loss of two california refineries. one caught fire in august and a power outage closed another this week. the state uses a special summer blend of fuel to cut down on smog and almost all of it is refined in california. tom robinson owns 34 gas stations. >> california is geographically isolated and california has special fuels and so you have to be able to not only get fuel here but it has to be at our specifications. >> reporter: some stations are et nearly $6 a gallon and could keep climbing for at least a week. what happens if this goes on for a couple weeks or a month? >> couple of weeks or month you're going to see a lot of independent people like me that

are going to go out of business. o reporter: sam krikorian is not out of business yet but he is closed for business. just 30 minutes ago they ran out of gas at his station here, they wrapped up the pumps with that yellow tape and, scott, he says tt can't afford to fill the tank back up until fuel prices go down. >> pelley: ben, thank you. dlya deadly outbreak of meningitis spreads, we'll look at how it happened. a long lost treasure reemerges because of the drought. and it all started 50 years ago today. when the "cbs evening news" inntinues. continues. how can you get back pain relief that lasts up to 16 hours?

with thermacare heatwraps. thermacare works differently. it's the only wrap wiatented heat cells that penetrate deep to relax, soothe, and unlock tight muscles. for up to 16 hours of relief, try thermacare. prego?! but i've bought ragu for years.

[ thinking ] wonder what other questionable choices i've made? i choose date number 2! whooo! [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego. heartburn symptoms causedelieve by acid reflux disease. osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels have been seen with nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. talk to your doctor about nexium. online outfit piccolo headphones buy now broadway show megapixels place to sleep little roadster war and peace deep sea diving ninja app hipster glasses 5% cash back sign up to get 5% everywhere online through december. only from discover. it's called passion. and it's not letting up anytime soon. at unitedhealthcare insurance company, we understand that commitment. so does aarp, serving americans 50 and over for generations. so it's no surprise millions have chosen an aarp dicare supplement insurance plan,

insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. to find out more, call today. >> pelley: michigan has become the seventh state to become hit mi a deadly case of meningitis. 47 cases have been reported and five people have died. the suspected source is tainted rceroids used for treating back pain. the medication was manufactured a what's known as a compounding pharmacy and we asked dr. jon dpook to tell us more about them. >> reporter: the meningitis outbreak means the phones are busy at the pharmacy charles leighter runs at n san jose, california. >> we're fielding calls and questions about what we do, even nustomers that have been using us for ten years. >> reporter: it's called a compounding pharmacy. companies which fill a niche in the medical world. here, pharmacists combine ingredients to create special med-to-order medications, from

something as simple as flavoring cough medicine to making injectable cancer drugs in a sterile environment. >> manufacturers make drugs for >> ugs hey make one drug for a million people. oneake one drug for one ientific patient. y> reporter: but the new england ampounding company linked to the meningitis outbreak was running a different kind of operation. it shipped more than 17,000 vials of one drug to 23 states. it's unknown how many contaminated vials were used. ermpounding pharmacies are regulated primarily by state boards. the food and drug administration tis limited authority over them or they do not have to meet the same standards as big drug companies. the compounding pharmacy madustry has started to police etself, setting up an accreditation board requiring strict quality control. of the roughly 3,000 pharmacies making injectable drugs, igighter's pharmacy is one of only 162 with that type of accreditation. the massachusetts pharmacy which supplied the tainted steroids oes not have it.

leighter also takes an extra step. everything he makes is sent out for independent testing before he sells it. he's never had a problem. still, he's always on alert. >> you know, there's no guarantee that something's -- a mistake isn't going to happen std it's just that that kind of hangs over me. it's a lot of stress. >> reporter: scott, we contacted thecials in the 23 states where the drug was shipped and we estimate that at least 5,000 people could have gotten the injected drug. >> pelley: jon, thank you very much. a historic ship that was lost in a flood has been recovered in a drought. the u.s.s. "inaugural" is peeking out of the mississippi in st. louis. it was a mine sweeper during ii ad war ii and was turned into lofloating museum. in 1993, it sank but with the theissippi drying up, it can be seen again. the world's best swimmer changes course. michael phelps plays golf. wait until you see. next. next.

copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms by keeping my airways open for 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that does both. spiriva handihaler tiotropium bromide inhalation powder does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. stop taking spiriva and seek immediate medical help if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain, or problems passing urine. other side effects include dry mouth and constipation. nothing can reverse copd. spiriva helps me breathe better. (blowing sound) ask your doctor about spiriva.

>> pelley: a radical islamic ceric is being flown to the u.s. tonight to face charges he tried to set up a terrorist training camp in oregon. abu hamza al-masri was turned over by the british who'd been holding him since 2004. os fought extradition, but today he lost his final appeal. michael phelps has won a record 22 olympic medals in swimming, now he's trying golf and have a look at what he did today at a pro/am tournament in scotland.

>> 18 golds, two bronze, two silver, learning to play golf. here he is. look at this. where is this putt going? ngy! this guy's 26 handy cap. he couldn't. he has! >> pelley: rather be lucky than !ood. that was a 153 foot put. maybe he's got a new career. pop music was forever changed 50 years ago today, the day that the beatles released their first single "love me do." in their hometown, liverpool, rp600 people sang rounds of the song today, setting a world record. ♪ you know i love you ♪ i'll always be true ♪ so please love me do >> pelley: "love me do" was the first of the beatles 50 hits. but it only reached number 17 on

britbritish charts. .s was released in the u.s. two anars later and went straight to number one. the great pumpkin won't be rising out of this pumpkin patch. net without a crane it won't. "on the road" with steve hartman is next. next. want to try to crack it? yeah, that's the way to do it! now we need a little bit more... a little bit more vanilla? this is great! [ male announcer ] at humana, we believe there's never been a better time to share your passions... because the results... are you having fun doing this? yeah. that's a very nice cake! [ male announcer ] well, you can't beat them. [ giggles ] ohh! you got something huh? whoa... [ male announcer ] humana understands the value of spending time together that's a lot of work getting that one in! let's go see the birdies. [ male announcer ] one on one, sharing what you know. let's do it grandpa. that's why humana agents will sit down with you, to listen and understand what's important to you.

it's how we help you choose the right humana medicare plan for you. because when your medicare is taken care of, you can spend more time sharing your passions. wow. [ giggles ] [ male announcer ] with the people who matter most. i love you grandpa! i love you grandma! now you're a real fisherman. [ male announcer ] humana. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! [ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is so soft you'll have to remind your family they can use less.

it's made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less. charmin ultra soft. and one wedding, 2 kids, 43 bottles of olay total effects many birthdays later, still looks amazing. thanks to the trusted performance of olay. [ male announcer ] how do you make 70,000 trades a second... ♪ reach one customer at a time? ♪ or help doctors turn billions of bytes of shared information... ♪ into a fifth anniversary of remission? ♪ whatever your business challenge, dell has the technology and services to help you solve it. but will the weather cooper? your complete forecast. nexn cbs 5

we're always waiting for an october surprise. this year, steve hartman founded not on the campaign trail but in the pumpkin patch. on the road. >> reporter: for david >> it's history. >> history. >> pumpkin history. for david frerichs and pumpkin growers across the globe, this is the year they have been waiting for history. the year they would hopefully get to see a pumpkin that makes these look like pomegranate seeds that dwarfs even the 15, 1600-pound giants you see at contests. a pumpkin so massive most growers thought the poundage wasn't possible. >> it would just implode, that the shell of the pumpkins, the ribs inside, wouldn't be strong enough to hold that weight. >> reporter: just as breaking the sound barrier was to aerospace or running the four-minute mile is to sports, the holy grail for giant pumpkin

people is the one-ton pumpkin. for decades, growers have been pursuing this in vain. >> 1507 pounds! >> reporter: a few months ago, rumors started circulating that some giants were growing in the backyard of a house in greene, rhode island. the home owner had to plant foliage in order to discourage looky-loos, reporters and others who have been desperately trying to sneak a peek. ron wallace, a country club manager, has tried to downplay expectations of what has been growing in his backyard until the pumpkin was weighed. last week, the pumpkin was weighed. it weighed 2,009 pounds. that's over a ton. but the really amazing thing is that the pumpkin wallace weighed is not the biggest one in his backyard. an even heavier, more grotesque fruit is set to be weighed tomorrow in a contest. >> this isn't a beauty contest. >> reporter: all summer long, it's been putting on 30 to 40

pounds a day. >> you watch it grow. no doubt about about it. you can see see it grow. >> reporter: there is a sigh tones this. >> the fungi -- >> reporter: which i didn't understand. >> atmospheric nitrogen. >> reporter: but i have driven to toledo in things that weigh less than this pumpkin. we won't know what it weighs until tomorrow when it goes to another competition but 2100 pounds isn't out of the question. >> now everyone is saying, let's go for 2500 pounds. >> reporter: when is this going to stop? i'm worried about them taking over the earth. there has to be a limit at some point. there has to be a limit on everything, i think. >> reporter: god forbid he gets his hand on a brussels sprout. that's the "cbs evening news" for tonight. for all of us at cbs news all around the world, i'm scott pelley. see you sunday on "60 minutes." good evening, i'm allen

martin. >> and i'm elizabeth cook in for dana king tonight. you have been warned about it all week long. and now it's here. >> oh, yeah. a weekend packed with events all across the bay area. is the weather going to cooperate in meteorologist paul deanno tracking it in the cbs 5 weather center. >> no pressure just a million extra folks on the peninsula the next couple of days. here's what we have setting up because it's the weekend. it's not that warm nor sunny outside and that is a sign of the change that's coming. vallejo, oakland, only 70. fremont 72. san jose only 69. and downtown san francisco 65 degrees. so what is going on this weekend? we'll get lots of details in the second -- i have some video to show you. we have the blue angels in town, eet week hitting the climax this weekend. the blue angels putting on their show tomorrow at 12:30. sunday's show begins at noon. i do think the weather will cooperate for the blue angels and that show in the sky. how about some